Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound

06/06/2026

Seaspan's recent Blue Circle Awards announcement raises some important questions about how environmental leadership is measured in British Columbia's maritime sector.

According to Seaspan, these awards recognize environmental stewardship, sustainability, energy management, and environmental leadership. Yet many residents of Baynes Sound may be wondering how a company that has worked in partnership with Deep Water Recovery at the Union Bay shipbreaking site can be recognized with environmental awards while serious concerns remain unresolved at that location.

The Union Bay shipbreaking facility has been the subject of 23 environmental warnings related to the discharge of acutely toxic heavy metals into Baynes Sound. This is not a minor issue. Baynes Sound is one of the most ecologically significant marine ecosystems in British Columbia, recognized as an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA), an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), and a globally recognized Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). It is also the heart of B.C.'s shellfish industry and an area of immense cultural importance to First Nations.

https://nrced.gov.bc.ca/records;keywords=5084

CCOBS believes the public deserves transparency regarding how environmental awards are evaluated. Who determines the recipients? What criteria are used? Were Seaspan's business relationships and activities associated with the Union Bay shipbreaking operation considered during the evaluation process? Were the environmental warnings issued at that site taken into account?

Environmental leadership should be measured not only by energy efficiency upgrades, emissions reductions, and sustainability programs, but also by ensuring that industrial activities do not contribute to the contamination of sensitive marine ecosystems.

We encourage the Blue Circle Awards program to explain how these awards are assessed and whether environmental compliance concerns associated with partner operations are factored into the evaluation process.

Protecting Baynes Sound requires accountability, transparency, and a commitment to ensuring that environmental recognition reflects the full environmental record of the companies receiving it.

BC NDPTamara DavidsonRandene NeillBC Maritime Employers Association

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=Seaspan

05/18/2026

Canada urgently needs strong shipbreaking regulations that include a clear approval process for WHERE heavy industrial ship recycling operations can occur.

Not every marine site is appropriate for hazardous industrial work.

A proper regulatory framework should automatically eliminate locations that are:
• Ecologically and Biologically Sensitive Areas (EBSAs)
• Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)
• Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas (IBAs)
• Shallow tidal beaches and intertidal ecosystems
• Critical shellfish and fish habitat
• Near residential communities
• Adjacent to tourism, recreation, and culturally significant Indigenous areas

Heavy industrial shipbreaking involves hazardous materials including heavy metals, hydrocarbons, asbestos, contaminated paint systems, plastics, oils, and industrial waste. These activities should only occur in properly engineered deep-water industrial ports with:
✔ Full containment systems
✔ Environmental monitoring
✔ Hazardous waste infrastructure
✔ Spill response capability
✔ Appropriate industrial zoning
✔ Separation from sensitive ecosystems and communities

The attached video demonstrates why shallow tidal waters are completely inappropriate for this type of industrial activity.

At the Union Bay site currently operated by Union Bay Industries and Deep Water Recovery, the public is now seeing a “rebranding” effort under the name “Coastal Gateway Port.” But changing the name does not change the location, the environmental sensitivities, or the concerns surrounding heavy industrial shipbreaking activities in Baynes Sound.

Same location. Same shallow tidal beach. Same environmental concerns.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_DeMsWG6k8

Baynes Sound is globally recognized for its ecological importance and supports approximately half of BC’s cultured shellfish industry. It is also the sacred home waters of the K’ómoks First Nation and supports herring, salmon, migratory birds, and countless marine species.

This is not about opposing ship recycling. Ships must be recycled responsibly.

It is about ensuring Canada adopts international ship recycling regulations that require the RIGHT INDUSTRY in the RIGHT LOCATION — protecting both coastal communities and marine ecosystems for future generations.

Shane Clayton GetsonDavid Suzuki FoundationWest Coast Environmental LawComox Valley Regional District - Local GovernmentNGO Shipbreaking PlatformStand.earthAssociation for Denman Island Marine Stewards

That huge barge grinding the shoreline.Structures removed from the previous berm area.No filtration system.Crappy old machines, crappy company.Grinding all t...

05/03/2026

We would like to thank the Georgia Strait Alliance team for advocating Canada's adoption of international shipbreaking regulations. These operations must be regulated! Say NO to unregulated shipbreaking.

04/25/2026

We fully support Gord Johns in calling for a responsible, made-in-Canada ship recycling industry — this is long overdue.
It’s important for people to understand that Transport Canada has finally taken a first step toward regulating shipbreaking by introducing an Interim Order that came into effect on April 1, 2026. This requires things like an Inventory of Hazardous Materials and reducing onboard waste before ships are recycled.

But let’s be clear — this is only a partial step.

Even the federal government acknowledges that it cannot do this alone. Key parts of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships — especially worker safety and facility standards — fall under provincial and municipal jurisdiction. That means provinces and local governments must step up too.

Without all levels of government working together, we risk continuing with a patchwork system that leaves communities and sensitive ecosystems exposed.
Here in coastal B.C., we are already seeing what happens in the absence of strong, coordinated regulations. Places like Baynes Sound — an internationally recognized ecological area — are being put at risk.
We agree with Gord Johns: Canada has an opportunity to build a world-class ship recycling industry. But that industry must be located in appropriate, deep-water, heavy industrial ports, with full containment, proper oversight, and the highest environmental and labour standards.
Anything less just shifts the risk onto coastal communities and fragile ecosystems.

This is a shared responsibility — federal, provincial, and municipal governments all need to act now.



BC NDPTransport CanadaFisheries and Oceans CanadaTamara DavidsonDavid EbyRandene NeillEnvironment and Climate ChangeDavid Suzuki FoundationWest Coast Environmental LawComox Valley Regional

04/23/2026

We want to extend our sincere thanks to the many organizations standing with us to protect Baynes Sound. Your support is helping bring much-needed attention to what is truly at stake.

Baynes Sound is not just another stretch of coastline—it is one of the most important marine ecosystems in British Columbia. It produces roughly 50% of BC’s cultured shellfish, supporting local jobs, coastal communities, and food security.

But its importance goes far beyond economics.

Baynes Sound is recognized as an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) and an Important Bird & Biodiversity Area (IBA), highlighting its global ecological value. It is one of the most sensitive coastal ecosystems in BC.

The Sound is fed by 15 salmon-bearing streams, making it a critical nursery for juvenile salmon such as Coho and Chum. Its extensive eelgrass beds provide essential habitat and feeding grounds, while also supporting Pacific herring—one of the key species underpinning the entire marine food web.

It is also a vital habitat for migratory birds and at-risk species, reinforcing its international importance.

This is a place where ecology, economy, and culture are deeply interconnected. It supports fisheries, recreation, tourism, and has been stewarded for generations, including by the K’ómoks First Nation.

We want to be clear: we are not opposed to shipbreaking. We support shipbreaking taking place in appropriate locations—deep water, heavy industrial ports with full containment and proper infrastructure—where risks to sensitive ecosystems and nearby communities can be effectively managed.

What we strongly advocate for is that Canada adopt and enforce robust international shipbreaking regulations, ensuring environmental protection, worker safety, and accountability. Without these standards in place, areas like Baynes Sound are left vulnerable.

Protecting Baynes Sound means protecting biodiversity, livelihoods, and a globally significant ecosystem that cannot be replaced.

Thank you again to the organizations and individuals who continue to stand with us. Ongoing stewardship and vigilance are essential to ensure this unique and irreplaceable place is protected for future generations.

David Suzuki FoundationWest Coast Environmental LawStand.earthAssociation for Denman Island Marine StewardsNGO Shipbreaking PlatformWWF-CanadaPacific Wild

We're deeply concerned about the proposed Coastal Gateway Port project in Baynes Sound, one of BC's most important marine ecosystems, especially given its connection to Deep Water Recovery, notorious for its environmental non-compliance.

Read our joint letter sent to PM Carney and BC Premier Eby (via Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound ): https://bit.ly/4mUWC8H

04/20/2026

Coastal Gateway Port needs to be called out — clearly and directly — for misleading the public.

Suggesting that a shipbuilding, repair, and shipbreaking facility is comparable to Fairwinds Marina in Nanoose Bay is not a harmless comparison. It is a false equivalency that downplays the scale, risks, and reality of what’s being proposed.

Fairwinds Marina is a recreational facility. It supports boaters, tourism, and community life. It offers moorage, fuel, and basic services in a setting where people come to enjoy the ocean and marine life.

Shipbreaking is heavy industry.

It involves tearing apart large vessels that can contain asbestos, heavy metals, oils, and toxic residues. It brings industrial noise, cutting and grinding operations, heavy equipment, and the real risk of pollution to surrounding waters.

These are not remotely the same — in purpose, in impact, or in risk.

Presenting them as comparable is misleading. Full stop!

And context matters. This proposal comes from the same proponents tied to a previous operation that lost its foreshore lease due to pollution. Now the public is being asked to trust that this time it will be different — while the project itself is being softened through comparisons to a peaceful marina.

Meanwhile, Baynes Sound is one of the most ecologically and economically important coastal areas in British Columbia — supporting a significant portion of the province’s shellfish industry and Indigenous harvesting. It is immediately beside families with small children. It is a shallow port with 17ft tides.

This is not the place for spin.

People deserve honesty about what shipbreaking actually is: a heavy industrial process with serious environmental risks.

Equating it to a marina doesn’t inform the public — it misleads them.

And that should concern everyone!

Canada MUST adopt international shipbreaking regulations! Regulations which protect ecologically sensitive ecosystems and families from heavy industrial work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgwjbLW7MC4

Do these photos look like Nanoose Marina to you?

Comox Valley Regional District - Local GovernmentTamara DavidsonRandene NeillOsborneBC NDPUnited Conservative Party of AlbertaGord Johns for Courtenay-AlberniDavid Suzuki FoundationWest Coast Environmental Law

04/16/2026

Congratulations to K’ómoks First Nation on this historic and momentous achievement with the introduction of the K’ómoks Treaty Act, 2026 in the British Columbia Legislature.

This milestone reflects more than three decades of determined leadership, vision, and dedication by K’ómoks leadership, Elders, and members in advancing self-determination and securing a strong future for generations to come. The treaty represents a powerful affirmation of K’ómoks’ inherent rights and creates an enduring foundation for governance, stewardship, and prosperity.

At the same time, this is also an opportunity to recognize and thank K’ómoks First Nation for its principled leadership in protecting the lands and waters that sustain all of us. Your clear opposition to ship-breaking activities in Union Bay demonstrated courageous stewardship and a deep commitment to safeguarding Baynes Sound — an ecologically and culturally invaluable marine ecosystem that is sacred to K’ómoks people and vital to the broader region.

Your advocacy for Baynes Sound has shown what true leadership looks like: protecting the environment, defending cultural and ecological values, and standing for the long-term health of the community. As Baynes Sound faces increasing environmental pressures, K’ómoks First Nation’s voice has been essential in reminding all levels of government that these waters deserve protection and respect.

Wishing Chief Nicole Rempel, Council, and all K’ómoks members continued strength and success as this landmark treaty moves toward final ratification. This is a proud moment for K’ómoks First Nation, and for everyone who values justice, stewardship, and a sustainable future for this region.

https://komoks.ca/kfn-opposed-to-ship-breaking-activities-in-union-bay/

April 14, 2026 Comox Valley K’ómoks First Nation Marks Historic Milestone with Introduction of K’ómoks Treaty Act in B.C. Legislature COMOX, B.C. — APRIL 14, 2026 — K’ómoks First Nation is celebrating a major milestone today as the Province of British Columbia introduces the K’ómoks ...

04/15/2026

Congratulations to K’ómoks First Nation on this historic and momentous achievement with the introduction of the K’ómoks Treaty Act, 2026 in the British Columbia Legislature.

This milestone reflects more than three decades of determined leadership, vision, and dedication by K’ómoks leadership, Elders, and members in advancing self-determination and securing a strong future for generations to come. The treaty represents a powerful affirmation of K’ómoks’ inherent rights and creates an enduring foundation for governance, stewardship, and prosperity.

At the same time, this is also an opportunity to recognize and thank K’ómoks First Nation for its principled leadership in protecting the lands and waters that sustain all of us. Your clear opposition to ship-breaking activities in Union Bay demonstrated courageous stewardship and a deep commitment to safeguarding Baynes Sound — an ecologically and culturally invaluable marine ecosystem that is sacred to K’ómoks people and vital to the broader region.

Your advocacy for Baynes Sound has shown what true leadership looks like: protecting the environment, defending cultural and ecological values, and standing for the long-term health of the community. As Baynes Sound faces increasing environmental pressures, K’ómoks First Nation’s voice has been essential in reminding all levels of government that these waters deserve protection and respect.

Wishing Chief Nicole Rempel, Council, and all K’ómoks members continued strength and success as this landmark treaty moves toward final ratification. This is a proud moment for K’ómoks First Nation, and for everyone who values justice, stewardship, and a sustainable future for this region.

https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-introduces-legislation-implement-modern-treaty-komoks-first-nation

https://komoks.ca/kfn-opposed-to-ship-breaking-activities-in-union-bay/

The land provided to the K’ómoks First Nation is made up of provincial land, some private land purchased by the province, and existing reserve lands

04/10/2026

🚨 LEGAL UPDATE – BAYNES SOUND 🚨

📅 April 9, 2026

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) has filed an amended Notice of Civil Claim with the Supreme Court of British Columbia in its ongoing legal action against Deep Water Recovery Ltd. and Union Bay Industries Ltd. ⚖️

This amendment, filed on March 25, 2026, builds on the original April 2022 civil claim, where the CVRD sought the Court’s assistance to stop shipbreaking operations at 5084 Island Highway, Union Bay, BC.

📄 CCOBS has obtained the amended documents directly from the BC Supreme Court registry and is sharing them here for public awareness and transparency.

⚠️ This matter remains before the courts and is an active legal proceeding.

🗣️ “The environmental health of Baynes Sound is important to the district and our community,” says Alana Mullaly, General Manager of Planning and Development Services. Due to the ongoing case, the CVRD is limited in what can be shared publicly and cannot comment on specific details at this time.

📢 As more information becomes publicly available through court filings and scheduled dates, updates will be shared as permitted.

🌊 Baynes Sound matters.
This case underscores the importance of protecting one of British Columbia’s most sensitive and valuable marine ecosystems. The previous post announcing the changes from Transport Canada specifically stated that the bulk of the accountability for shipbreaking is on the provinces and the municipalities. It is time for them to stand up and create regulations to protect coastal communities! BC NDP Union of BC Municipalities

🤝 The CVRD operates in partnership across electoral areas and municipalities on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, whose stewardship of this land and water spans generations.

https://www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/connect/news/cvrd-provides-ship-breaking-update

Comox Valley Regional District - Local GovernmentBC NDPTamara DavidsonRandene NeillGord Johns for Courtenay-AlberniJosie OsborneTla'amin NationK'ómoks First Nation

04/09/2026

Canada has taken a positive first step 🇨🇦 toward safer, more environmentally responsible ship recycling with Transport Canada’s new interim measures aligned with the Hong Kong Convention ⚓🌍

These rules begin to address hazardous materials on ships at the end of their life — but they only scratch the surface ⚠️ The Convention sets much broader international standards, and Canada has yet to fully adopt them.

Given the global nature of shipping and the risks to workers 👷 and the environment 🌊, Canada must go further. Full implementation of international shipbreaking regulations is essential to ensure ships are recycled safely, responsibly, and in line with global best practices.

This is progress ✅ — but there’s more work ahead 🚧

📄 Full letter from Transport Canada:

For some time, Transport Canada has been examining the potential implementation of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (the Convention).

The Convention sets international standards for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling for ships of 500 gross tonnage or above. These standards include: the development and maintenance of an Inventory of Hazardous Materials for ships; the prohibition or restriction of hazardous materials throughout a ship’s life cycle; the requirement for a ship to be recycled at authorized recycling facilities; the preparation of a ship-specific Ship Recycling Plan; and a final survey and an International Ready for Recycling Certificate to ensure compliance.

In June 2025, 15 countries ratified the Convention and its requirements entered into force on June 26, 2025. While Canada has not yet ratified the Convention because some of its requirements, such as those involving occupational health and safety at ship recycling facilities, fall under provincial and municipal authorities, an urgent need has arisen to implement the Convention’s requirements for vessels given the international nature of shipping and the need to support the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships in Canada.

Transport Canada has put in place an Interim Order Respecting the Recycling of Vessels (the Interim Order), effective April 1, 2026. It applies to Canadian and internationally flagged vessels 500 Gross Tonnage and above and only implements the following requirements from the Convention when vessels reach the end of their life and are ready for recycling:

• keep an up-to-date Inventory of Hazardous Materials on board vessels that are en route to a ship recycling facility for recycling
• reduce cargo residues, fuel oil, and other wastes onboard before recycling

Transport Canada will continue to work towards the identification of opportunities to make further improvements to Canada’s ship recycling framework. As part of this work, Transport Canada is now taking immediate action to reduce the marine environmental risks associated with vessel recycling, demonstrating the federal government’s commitment to responsible vessel recycling.

Transport Canada will be continuing work to develop future federal approaches to vessel recycling, including development of regulations to make the requirements of the Interim Order permanent.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact [email protected].

CMAC Secretariat

https://tc.canada.ca/en/ministerial-orders-interim-orders-directives-directions-response-letters/interim-order-respecting-recycling-vessels

SeaspanShane Clayton GetsonBC NDPAssociation of British Columbia Marine Industries - ABCMIConservative Party of BCTamara DavidsonRandene NeillGord Johns for Courtenay-AlberniJosie Osborne